Mr. Monk and the case of constructed identity: investigating culture in the televised portrayal of mental illness

Abstract:

Rooted in cultural studies and critical theory, this thesis examines the portrayal of
mental illness in the television series Monk. In response to popular readings of the text as
a positive depiction of a character with a mental illness, which is in contrast to a history
stigmatizing portrayals, textual analysis is used to explore the discursive construction of
the identity of main character, Adrian Monk. Since the multiple meanings within a text
are representative of the culture that produces it, this analysis explores textual insights
into prevailing attitudes and beliefs about people with mental illnesses against the
backdrop of continuing progress in the area of mental health. As a supportive framework,
Burkean themes of motivation and struggle within a social hierarchy are used in the
rhetorical analysis of representations of identification, marginalization, maintenance of
the status quo, and change.